Victor Katz
Board of Education
2-Year Term

Email: victorkatz.boe@gmail.com
Find me on Facebook or Twitter

WHY I AM RUNNING

A major turning point in my life happened in 1992 after the collapse of the former Soviet Union. My family and I, originally from the Ukraine, were fortunate to be able to immigrate to United States. Pursuing the American Dream was my parents’ desire, and I am very grateful to be able to experience freedom as every human being on this planet should.

I have always wanted to get involved and give back to my community and my country, especially since I was given this opportunity for a new life here. The Board of Education candidacy seems to be a perfect fit. May I explain?

Being a father of two young children, I have attended many of the Board of Education meetings and have kept abreast of the recent budgetary issues and educational challenges facing the Board and the district as a whole. The current members of the Board of Education have to be acknowledged for their dedicated work.

I promise that if elected to this important position, I too, will work diligently. While the ultimate goal is to provide all Brookfield students with the optimum learning environment, it must be balanced by being fiscally responsible. How to merge these two factors is the heart of the matter. I firmly believe that the Education Service Level must not be compromised as ultimately we would be compromising and cheating ourselves and our children.

I will attend the meetings, and work collaboratively with the Superintendent and other board members to understand the budget and curriculum needs being brought before the board. I am aware that many items in the educational budget are state and national mandates. These items and contractual obligations leave very little money in our budget to enhance the quality of our educational system. Therefore, it is up to the members of this board to effectively communicate our needs not only to the members of the Boards of Selectmen and Finance but also to the Brookfield community. I know that it is the support of the community that is the key to our success.

While the educational budget consumes a large part of the Board of Education’s time and energy, there are also important Board policies and educational concerns and issues that are arise. Some of these are Special Education, Extracurricular Activities, Zero Tolerance Behaviors, etc.

I pledge to listen to these issues and concerns with an unbiased view and support those agenda items that will improve Brookfield’s educational community.

Victor's acceptance speech at the Brookfield Democratic Caucus

BACKGROUND

I met my wife Alaina, a former elementary school teacher in Brooklyn, while pursuing my Bachelor of Science degree at Brooklyn College. We have two daughters, a two-year old and an eight-year old who is going to be a third-grader at Huckleberry Hill Elementary School.

As a young family we wanted to ensure a better environment for our children. After careful research, we chose to live in Brookfield mainly because of its impressive school system.

Both my wife and I believe in strong family values and a sense of giving back to the community in which we live. We hope to instill these beliefs in our daughters by our actions. This is a personal reason why I am running for the position on the Board of Education.

I am a professional in the Computer Technology Industry and currently work in the Global Supply Chain Information Technology area at Avon Products, Inc. I have been at Avon for more than a decade joining in 1999 and have advanced in my career to a senior level. The nature of my job requires me to travel internationally which allows me to experience various cultures and traditions. This position has also strengthened my interpersonal skills because I need to work with my international counterparts on various projects which include jointly preparing goals and budgets. Being multilingual is also an added asset.

Because of my corporate experience, I know the importance of team work and working collaboratively. I know that the new unified Democratic Team can do so much more for Brookfield. We can create the much lacking synergy between all the Town Boards and Commissions to point Brookfield towards success.

Thank you for considering my candidacy as a member of Brookfield’s Board of Education. I am looking forward to your support.

For more information on my Professional Career:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/victorkatz